By Melanie Kreifels, LCPC
Hello to our Smart Women Smart Money readers. It’s been a while since I’ve connected with you! It’s been a busy year for SWSM Magazine, bringing your helpful and insightful content to encourage and empower your financial health.
As we step into the second half of 2022, the realization of the financial crunch a majority of us are feeling isn’t going away any time soon. Terms like recession and high inflation have been used to project the economic outlook for the US in 2022. So as more Americans are feeling the crunch at the gas pump and grocery store, several emotions can emerge, including worry. Here are some thoughts on how to manage your feelings when you worry.
W.O.R.R.Y.
Watch how you and those you love are handling the stress around them. Worry can creep into our lives very discreetly, and most of us are weary for many reasons these days. Often like a chameleon, worry represents itself in simple ways. Maybe you notice yourself feeling more tired than usual or have a shorter fuse with those around you. Acknowledging where you are starting helps define how to work through the struggle.
Optimize your relationships and resources. After spending so much time apart over the past couple of years, the value of time together seems more real than ever. Most of us have friends and family going through similar struggles. Reach out to those around you to connect and for support.
Knowing that you aren’t alone is a great tool to fight any battle, and often there are resources you can share with one another. SWSM Magazine has several great resources and tips for cutting expenses, paying off debt, and getting ahead, even in difficult times.
Rest. A lack of rest and sleep can make every burden we carry feel much heavier. It’s amazing how our perspective can change with a good night’s sleep. Resting for sleep is essential, but it’s also important to rest our minds. Here are some tips on how to find rest throughout our day to recharge our minds.
Release what you aren’t meant to carry. Taking responsibility for your actions and feelings is one thing, but picking up burdens unnecessarily can damage working through a stressful time. If you still have decades before you retire, sweating over the stock market today isn’t beneficial to you in overcoming stress. Managing expectations daily will help us combat feelings of being overwhelmed.
Yes! Say yes to you! So much of our economy seems in flux right now. Prices are soaring for gas, food, housing, etc. While it can appear overwhelming, things will eventually even out. We will make it through and use these struggles to spring us into new financial habits we discovered in times of distress. These last couple of years have made us stronger and required us to accommodate uncomfortable times,
Recognizing things aren’t the way you want them to be right now, you can change a step in the right direction in overcoming worry. Building into your regular daily routine, some of these tools can help you thrive and help others simultaneously. Being proactive in combating your fear and struggle gives you a platform to work from without being caught off guard. Whether mentally preparing yourself for a tight budget each month or finding ways to cut costs, the more you step into the struggle, the more controlled decisions you will make.
